The two leaders talked about the
challenges of insider attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, and Panetta
thanked Karzai for his recent statements condemning such attacks, Little said
in a statement.

“They expressed shared concern over this
issue and agreed that American and Afghan officials should work even more
closely together to minimize the potential for insider attacks in the future,”
Little said.

Measures to counter the threat include
augmented counterintelligence, more rigorous vetting of Afghan recruits and
heightened engagement with village elders, who often play a key role by
vouching for Afghan security personnel, Little added.